


I didn't ask for this but here we are anyways

by Wexuji



Series: What do you mean "falling in love with your friend is fine"? It's not and I'm dying! [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Graybin - Freeform, Coming of Age, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Humor, It's like a "the fuck? Really?? Them?" romance dynamics, Nina has a big cameo, i did not proofread, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28415685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wexuji/pseuds/Wexuji
Summary: Going to University has its challenges.Waking up on time. Surviving exam phases without taking serious damage from it.Babysit your friends who don't know how to adult either.But most importantly, falling in love with your childhood friend who may or may not be a gigantic dumbass.And Mae is NOT prepared for that.
Relationships: Alm/Anthiese | Celica, Boey/Mae (Fire Emblem), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: What do you mean "falling in love with your friend is fine"? It's not and I'm dying! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081175
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	I didn't ask for this but here we are anyways

**Author's Note:**

> I did not proofread this.  
> I've just been sitting on it for months and decided today that i would continue working on it. 
> 
> I'm dead and tired please just take it.

Mae furrows her brows, confused and points in their vague direction with her chin. “You know, your boyfriend? Tall, messy hair? Bandana? He’s been using cheap pick-up lines on that girl over there pretty much since I’ve gotten here.”

Tobin coughs to mask his awkwardness. "We're, uh, not actually together you know", he mumbles and hides his face behind his bangs. 

HUH. 

“You’re not?”, she asks, slightly taken aback and Tobin gives her an unreadable look. 

“What even made you think that in the first place?”

“Oh, well”, Mae starts but jeez, how was one supposed to answer a question like that? Maybe it was bad of her to just assume but - come on! Literally every single time she has seen Tobin, he has been with Gray. And Celica did after all say something about how they moved in together right after high school for university and how adorable that was. 

Besides, there was a kind of chemistry between Tobin and Gray that even surpasses that of some other couples she knows. She’s kind of jealous, if she’s being honest with herself. 

Tobin splutters something along the lines of how everything they do is just a way to save money and a teasing grin creeps onto Mae’s face. 

“Suuure”, she says, “but just know that if you were a couple, you’d be a pretty cute one!”

Tobin groans and sinks deeper into the couch while covering his face with a palm. He half-heartedly tries to punch Mae in the face who laughs and just slides about 5 centimeters to the left. 

“Please just leave me alone and let me die of embarrassment”, he says with a muffled voice and Mae gives him a pat on the shoulder, before letting it go. 

***  
It’s twenty minutes later when she finally steps outside, breathing in the cool air of this cool summer evening. Around the corner she finds Boey sitting in the dirt. With him are Celica and Alm, all of them totally engrossed in...something. Mae grins and creeps towards them, actively trying to keep the crunch of her shoes on the gravel down to a minimum. 

It helps that it’s quite dim outside. The sun has already set, but the ground still retains one last bit of warmth. Mae is sure that they’re completely unaware of their surroundings. Slowly, Mae bends down and puffs a breath of air against Boey’s ear. 

Startled, Boey twists his body and somehow manages to topple over, hitting the floor. Before he can scream, Celica and Alm both shush him aggressively. 

“Don’t wake the baby!”, Celica hisses. Mae crouches down and squeezes in between their little circle, earning a disgruntled look from Boey. Mae sticks a tongue out at him. Boey rolls his eyes which earns him a jab in his sides. 

“What has been keeping you guys outside for so long anyways?”, she asks. “You’re not even doing anything!” 

“And that’s where you’re wrong!”, Alm says. 

They all shift slightly to accommodate Mae into their circle and finally she can see what’s been keeping them outside for so long. 

It’s a kitten. The most fluffy kitten Mae has ever seen in her life to be exact, currently swaddled in a colourful cotton cardigan, sleeping soundly with a content expression on its small face. A slight squeal escapes Mae’s mouth. 

“Oh my god that’s so adorable!”, she says and bends forward to boop its nose. One of it’s little ears twitches slightly, but otherwise it stays completely still. 

“I want a kitten”, Boey states and Alm nods in agreement. 

“I’ve been trying to convince Celica for the past thirty minutes now but she won’t agree.”

“Alm”, Celica scolds him gently, “You can’t even properly care for yourself, how do you think you are going to care for the kitten?”

“Uhhh, you come and help me?”, Alm suggests, while pulling the saddest expression he can manage. 

“Might as well move in together then”, Boey chimes in, “It would help with both taking care of a kitten and of Alm.” Celica and Alm look at each other and then quickly turn away. 

Mae leans her head against Boey’s shoulder and stretches her arms. He’s warm and comfortable. It’s wonderful, to finally spend time with her friends like this again. They hadn’t found the time to do this since, well, pretty much since they’ve graduated high school. Even though they’re all living in the same city it hasn’t been quite the same. Classes have been taking up way too much of their time, especially poor Celica who decided to get into medicine. Mae savors it. Who knows when they’re going to be able to spend time like this again. 

Boey doesn’t say anything, but he lays an arm around her shoulder and Mae snuggles closer. She can feel his ribcage rising and sinking with each breath he takes in. Celica and Alm glance at each other, amusement twinkling in their eyes. 

Mae flips the bird in their general direction without opening her eyes. “Not everything has to be romantic, you know?”, she says and Boey nods. “Yeah, let us just be friends you heteronormative fucks!”, he boos and Alm throws a small pebble at Boey.

“Whoa whoa don’t get offensive here, not everyone can be gay!”, he says. Mae mindlessly grabs a handful of leaves lying on the road and throws it at Alm in retaliation who puts his arms up defensively. The leaves end up tangled in his hair. Boey laughs at him. 

“What kind of weeb shit is this?”, he asks and Alm tries to hit him. 

Celica shoves herself in between them and once again shushes them aggressively. “Won’t you guys think about the baby!”, she sighs and Boey looks at her queistioningly. 

“Which baby?” 

“Me. I am baby”, Celica answers, earning a snort from the round. “But also the kitten? The small fur ball which is the reason we’re sitting outside in the first place?”

“Oh yeah. Speaking of which, I still think we should adopt one-”, Alm says and sneakily tries to manipulate Celica into agreeing. She lightly slaps his hand before he can try to pet the kitten’s ears and protectively shields it with her arms. 

“Nope! I don’t think I’m going to entrust anyone with this kitten anymore, I’m going to try and find Lukas again to tell him about your kitten-harming crimes.”

Celica stands up, carefully and makes her way to the house again, but not before giving Alm a small flick in the forehead. “Tattle-tale!”, he yells after her and Celica pretends she doesn’t hear him. Mae is sure that she’s smiling. 

***  
Just like this, the week flies by in a blurr. It’s five pm on a Friday and Mae is furiously scribbling numbers and variables onto a piece of lined paper because someone thought it was a good idea to put a shitton of letters into maths. Her phone buzzes and wearily she picks it up to see if who texted her. 

It’s Boey. 

check out what I found. 

Attached is a picture of the three of them, in freshman year of high school. Mae is standing in the center, grinning from ear to ear, both arms wrapped around the others. Celica has her face buried in Mae’s side. It’s obvious that she’s laughing too and Boey’s pulling a face that’s somewhere between a smile and desperation, all three of them dripping wet with water. 

There is sand in Boey’s hair. And Celica still had her freckles back then. They all looked adorable and Mae would have to lie if she said that this wasn’t one of the fondest memories she owns. 

God how much she misses that summer. It was the last few months before the seniors graduated and Mae fondly remembers the amount of time they’ve spent with Saber and Sonya. They’ve met up a few times afterwards, but Saber somehow grew distant and Sonya was always so busy that it was almost impossible to find a time where all of them could get together. 

She doesn’t know how to respond, with all of that nostalgia suddenly hitting her so she just sends back a smiling face and gets up to fetch some food. And maybe bother Celica.

Uni can wait, Time to socialize. 

With that thought, she stands up and goes to knock on Celica’s door. 

*

One pizza (Mae’s dinner for the night) and one scalding hot shower (Celica’s way to relieve her neck tension) later, they’re piled up on Celica’s bed. Celica still has her towel hanging across her neck. She reaches for the remote as Mae scrambles to turn on their fan again. Today was surprisingly hot for a day in September. 

As the opening music to “My Neighbor Totoro” faintly fades into the room, Mae flops back down onto the bed and drops her head against Celicas shoulder. “It’s been ages since we’ve done anything like this!”, Mae exclaims with a satisfied purr. She can feel Celica nod. Her hair shifts and tickles Mae’s face. “Takes you back, doesn’t it?”

That’s also something they’ve done regularly back then in high school, meeting up once a month for movie night. “Remember when Boey wouldn’t stop giving us trivia about any single scene in Lord of the Rings and Saber had to shut him up by straight up stuffing marshmallows in his face?”

Celica laughs. “Oh that was nothing! Remember when Sonya would smuggle alcohol in a sprite bottle?” 

“Of course I do! You got drunk off that and started singing sea shanties! How could I ever forget that! I’m pretty sure I still have videos of that somewhere.”

“You recorded that?”

“Maybe I should show that to Alm some time”, Mae says teasingly, earning herself one gigantic pink fluffy cat plush straight to the face. 

“Don’t you dare!”, Celica squeals, face red with embarrassment. “Mphhff, mpfhhHhh!”, is all Mae can retort before she manages to steal the stuffed animal and stuffs it beneath her body, effectively ending their strife. Celica huffs, and then breaks out in giggles again. Mae can’t help but to join in. 

“Speaking of Alm, do you guys have plans to move in together?”

Celica stops giggling and slightly tenses next to her. “Not particularly, why? Can’t wait to get rid of me?”, she asks jokingly. Mae furiously shakes her head. “And give up access to your TV? Do I look like I’m that dumb”

“I hoped you’d miss me if I moved out.”

“Pffft, of course I would, but let’s not get our priorities wrong here. The TV hogs the first place in my heart!” 

For one second, Celica looks hurt, surprisingly so. Then she kicks her, but there is no real force behind it. “What about you and Boey then?”, she jabs back, “isn’t it time you guys married?” 

“Yeah right. When the time comes you’ll be the first one to know”, Mae retorts and straightens her back. 

It is quiet again. Both girls fully divert their attention back on the movie again, their peace only interrupted by the occasional cronch as they snack on various chips they still had stored for times like this. 

Except, Mae is not really paying attention. 

She can’t stop thinking. About their movie nights, about her friends, about Celica. Sure, it’s been long since their monthly movie nights (which eventually turned into bi-monthly movie nights and then movie nights of unspecified intervals), but what she misses is really hanging out with her best friend. Maybe it’s just the exam phase speaking but despite being roommates, they don’t hang out quite as often as they should. Mae can’t help but feel that something’s different, something’s wrong but she can’t put her finger on it. 

Mae lightly clears her throat. “Hey, Celica -” 

Quiet snores fill the air. As Mae looks down at her, she sees Celica unconsciously snuggling up against her. She must have been really tired. Mae smiles gently and brushes Celicas hair out of her face. Maybe her worries were unjustified. 

Now Boey on the other hand - what the fuck is up with that??? Mae won’t deny that she isn’t extremely fond of him but really? Boey??? Crybaby Boey who was scared of the ghost type gym when they were playing Pokemon simply because they were ghosts? Boey whose shoes she had to tie from ages four until they were out of elementary school?  
Now that’s a can of worms she really doesn’t want to open! Better actually focus on the movie again! 

Even so, her thoughts wouldn’t stop drifting and when regains her consciousness again, it’s raining outside and the movie has ended and Celica is back at her table with her towel still hung around her shoulders, presumably memorizing muscle groups.


End file.
